With its transition game in high gear, Ohio State put up impressive numbers on offense, but coach Thad Matta didn’t like what he saw on the defensive end

View SlideshowRequest to buy this photoChris Russell | DispatchSam Thompson goes up for two of his career-high 18 points during Ohio State’s victory over UNC Asheville. He was one of four Buckeyes players to score in double figures.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta and his players talked all offseason about wanting to run more with the ball to take advantage of the team’s athleticism and depth. But the schedule through eight games had not been conducive to it, with mostly overmatched opponents not wanting to serve it up to the Buckeyes in their wheelhouse.

Then UNC Asheville came to Value City Arena yesterday, and there went No. 7 Ohio State — thataway, fast — to a 90-72 victory built on 26 points in transition and 25 off Bulldogs turnovers.

“We watched film a lot on them the past couple of days and we noticed they did not stop the ball particularly well,” said Sam Thompson, one of the most athletic Buckeyes, “so we knew if we could get stops, we could get out on the floor … and get to the rim. We definitely tried to capitalize on that.”

Thompson’s career-high 18 points led four scorers in double figures for the Buckeyes (8-1). Deshaun Thomas had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth career double-double, Lenzelle Smith Jr. scored 16 points and Evan Ravenel tied a career high with 12 points.

Point guards Aaron Craft and Shannon Scott combined for 17 assists and only one turnover, and Scott had six steals. Ohio State shot 59 percent and got assists on 25 of its 36 field goals.

“We felt like we could score in transition going into this game, and that was something we wanted to have, a great initial push,” Matta said. “You can’t give up 52 percent (shooting) in the first half, but I felt like our spacing is getting better in transition, guys are looking to hit the open man when there are weak numbers on the side and we’re able to attack more.”

Subtly dropping a criticism into an answer about something else was a tack Matta took throughout his postgame news conference, just to let everyone know that, in his opinion, the entertaining victory did not please him as much as it might have most others.

For instance, although Ohio State shot 61 percent from the field in taking a 50-35 lead at halftime, Asheville took it right back at the Buckeyes after their conversions and shot 52 percent. The points Ohio State scored off turnovers in the half accounted for the margin at the break.

The Buckeyes played better defense early in the second half in building an insurmountable lead. But, again, Matta found fault with the way they finished the game, being outscored 23-15 in the final 10 minutes.

“If you’re going to play with a looseness, you’ve got to have a certain element of maturity,” Matta said. “When you take Aaron Craft off the floor, things like that can happen. People talk about (that) he hasn’t scored, he hasn’t shot (well). Aaron Craft makes this basketball team go. He has a sense of maturity about him, and I think everyone else has to come into the circle on that.”

Craft did not play in the final 11:33.

Sophomore guard Keith Hornsby led UNC Asheville (3-7) with a career-high 26 points, making 9 of 12 shots from the field, including 6 of 8 three-point attempts.

Hornsby’s father, musician and singer Bruce Hornsby, sat in the back of the room while Matta conducted his interview. The two met on the recruiting trail while Keith was a Division I prospect at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

“The funny thing is, we were texting last night and he said, ‘Please let my son score,’ ” Matta said. “I think we did a very, very good job of that. As a sophomore, to come in here and do what he did, that was quite a performance.”